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Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6

25K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score48.9%Range (90% confident): 48.3% – 49.4%Based on 25K games
0%48.9%100%
Range (90% confident): 48.3% – 49.4%
Outcome Distribution
46.7%4.3%49.0%
Win
Draw
Loss
6...h6
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6
Analyzen=25K
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate4.3%

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 48.9% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 48.3% and 49.4%), based on 25K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.2% · Classical best · Bullet worst

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 39% → 50%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 39.2% win rate (158 games)
  • 1000-1199: 45.6% win rate (543 games)
  • 1200-1399: 45.2% win rate (1,253 games)
  • 1400-1599: 45.2% win rate (2,464 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.2% win rate (3,745 games)
  • 1800-1999: 45.1% win rate (4,859 games)
  • 2000-2199: 46.1% win rate (5,427 games)
  • 2200-2499: 48.8% win rate (4,902 games)
  • 2500+: 50.3% win rate (1,666 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Classical (54%), worst in UltraBullet (27%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 27.3% win rate (4 games)
  • Bullet: 44.9% win rate (6,290 games)
  • Blitz: 46.8% win rate (14,568 games)
  • Rapid: 48.7% win rate (3,897 games)
  • Classical: 54.1% win rate (258 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999——
1000-1199—
1200-1399—
1400-1599—
1600-1799—
1800-1999
2000-2199—
2200-2499
2500+——

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 42.6% expected score (39 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.8% expected score (96 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 39.8% expected score (23 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (137 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (274 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (130 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (220 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (693 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (327 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 67.3% expected score (13 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 41.5% expected score (385 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (1,375 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (653 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (51 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 42.8% expected score (644 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (1,950 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (1,060 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 57.1% expected score (91 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 42.7% expected score (883 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (3,041 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.0% expected score (858 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (74 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 44.1% expected score (1,275 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (3,560 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (566 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 62.8% expected score (26 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (1,797 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (2,833 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (270 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (910 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.4% expected score (746 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 84.8% expected score (10 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Philidor Defense
50.2%
Variations (5)
Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit
44.3%
Philidor Defense: Berger Variation
40.3%
Philidor Defense: Bird Gambit
53.3%
Philidor Defense: Boden Variation
49.4%
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
50.5%
Analyze Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 46.7% (90% CI: 46.2%-47.2%) win rate for white, based on 25K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 perform best?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 50.3% win rate for white (1.7K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (54.1%) outperforms Bullet (44.9%) by 9.2%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 39.2% (90% CI: 32.9%-45.6%) win rate for white, based on 158 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 45.6% (90% CI: 42.1%-49.2%) win rate for white, based on 543 Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 45.2% (90% CI: 42.9%-47.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 45.2% (90% CI: 43.6%-46.9%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 47.2% (90% CI: 45.8%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 3.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 45.1% (90% CI: 43.9%-46.2%) win rate for white, based on 4.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.1% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 46.1% (90% CI: 45.0%-47.2%) win rate for white, based on 5.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 48.8% (90% CI: 47.6%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 4.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.0% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 50.3% (90% CI: 48.3%-52.3%) win rate for white, based on 1.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 7.5% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 44.9% (90% CI: 43.9%-45.9%) win rate for white (6.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.5%.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 46.8% (90% CI: 46.1%-47.5%) win rate for white (15K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.7%.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 48.7% (90% CI: 47.4%-50.0%) win rate for white (3.9K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.3%.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 has a 54.1% (90% CI: 49.0%-59.2%) win rate for white (258 Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.4%.

Is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 is statistically balanced with a 46.7% (90% CI: 46.2%-47.2%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.